Howard Hoene,

Howard F. Hoene, Jr. 71, died on the afternoon of April 28, 2016, from a nine year battle with frontotemporal dementia. Howard was born June 29, 1944, in Duluth, Minnesota, to Howard F. and Anne K. Hoene. A graduate of Billings Central Catholic High School, Howard proceeded to earn a B.A. degree in English Literature with minors in mathematics and philosophy from St. Louis University. He served in the United States Army stationed at Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, Alaska, in the Military Police Corps. Howard's employment career began with the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Ripon, Wisconsin as the Ripon Bureau Assistant working as a reporter/photographer. He later became the Advertising Manager for the Mont-Wyo News, the weekly agri-business newspaper in Billings. Howard then did post graduate study in industrial and management engineering and computer science at Montana State University in Bozeman. He engaged in sales for Northwest Fixture in Billings as its Area Representative, and later the Keith Shahan Agency in Billings and other agencies selling life and health insurance products. Until the beginning of his bout with dementia Howard, for twenty years, operated his own cab as an independent for City Cab in Billings. Howard was an avid, successful chess player winning or placing in numerous tournaments. In 1982 He authored the book Winning Chess Gambits which was on the 1983 chess best seller list of The Players Inc., Los Angeles, California. In 1983 he was the Montana Open Chess Tournament Champion. Howard was a member of the St. Patrick's Church choir for many years. He was a voracious reader with lively intellectual curiosity and a cross word puzzle whiz. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable follower of Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” football, Howard also devoted time and zeal to politics, working on several political campaigns. His Catholic faith was a strong vein in his life. Howard was preceded in death by his parents, Howard F. and Anne K. Hoene and sister, Josephine Kuth Hoene. He was the oldest of nine children. He is survived by Katherine Hoene, Mary Decker, Mark Hoene of Spokane, WA, Vera (Mark) Werner, Arthur Hoene, Barbara (Paul) Fenter and Lisa (Gerd) Steckel, of Moscow, ID, as well as several nephews and nieces. The family would like to thank the staff of Garden Court, St. John's Lutheran Home, for their loving care of this gentle soul. A Vigil service will be held at Dahl Funeral Chapel at 5:00 p.m, Monday, May 2. Howard's funeral mass will be at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 3.